Making the grade

Be smart when switching to a four-year school from community college

By

MarlaBrill

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (MarketWatch) -- With the end of the recession nowhere in sight, starting out at an inexpensive community college or state school and transferring to a more prestigious but costlier institution after a year or two takes on new appeal as a way to save thousands of dollars.

But any anticipated savings can evaporate quickly when students make some common and costly transfer mistakes.

"Transferring between schools can be a great way to save money, but you have to do some investigation and preparation to make it work," said Susan Weir, an assistant vice-provost at the University of South Carolina and author of Transitions: A Guide For the Transfer Student.

Switching from one college to another has always been fairly common. About one-third of all college students do so at some point in their college careers, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. And a tough economy has given students even more financial incentive to make the leap.

"We've always had a lot of community college transfer students, and the dire state of the auto industry has certainly accelerated that trend," said Eric Freedman, an assistant dean at Michigan State University.

For students and their families, the savings can be significant. In California, in-state tuition at Santa Monica College for the most recent academic year was around $600 for full-time students, compared to $7,551 at the University of California, Los Angeles. Add in room and board charges and the savings increases another $25,000 or so if the student lives at home for those first two years of school.

Credits crunch

But transitions aren't always smooth. College credits that don't transfer can add to both the time and money spent at a new school. Many schools are tightening their belts as transfer applications rise, making it harder to gain admittance. And unexpected adjustment problems at a new school can impact grades, making it more difficult to get scholarships and fellowships for graduate school.

Going from a two-year community college to a four-year public school in the same state is a well-paved transfer route. Special arrangements known as "articulation agreements" can make the process fairly simple. These officially-approved agreements match coursework between schools so that students can transfer with little or no loss of credits. Although articulation agreements are most typical between community colleges and four-year public schools in the same state, they sometimes exist between community colleges and nearby private schools.

Not all states schools have articulation agreements. Weir says that while the University of South Carolina has a number of bridge programs designed to usher community college students into a four-year school, it doesn't have an articulation agreement allowing for the automatic transfer of credits. Instead, prospective students must contact the department advisor to see whether credits transfer on a course-by-course basis.

Transferring from one four-year college to another can be even more difficult. At many schools, particularly those where students tend to stay put after freshman year, acceptance rates for transfers are significantly lower than they are for incoming freshman. At Boston College, for instance, the acceptance rate for transfers over the last few years has been less than 15%, compared to 25% to 30% for incoming freshmen.

Private schools are also likely to determine whether credits from a previous school can transfer only after they make an offer of admission, making it difficult for prospective students to plan ahead. And the colleges may re-evaluate and possibly eliminate any advanced placement credits the previous school awarded.

Another potential issue is GPA shock. While the new school usually requires a minimum grade point average, the GPA earned at one school typically does not carry over to the next. Even when credits transfer, grades often do not.

"Someone used to getting excellent grades at a local community college may not be able to do that at a four-year college where the course work is more rigorous," Weir said. "A dip in GPA almost always happens after a transfer."

Transfer tips

Despite these issues, students looking for savings and a change of campus scenery can take steps to move the process ahead:

1. Focus on more receptive schools. Schools with higher first-year student retention rates will likely be more difficult for transfers to get into than those where students come and go more frequently, leaving more room for second- or third-year newcomers. A good guide to retention rates and other school information is available at the Web site for the National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator).

Schools with a high number of transfer students are also likely to be more accommodating of them. At the University of California in Los Angeles, for example, about one-third of the student body consists of transfers.

2. Plan ahead. Consult with academic advisors at both your present and prospective school to learn about what each side expects, documents you need to submit, and pertinent deadlines. Anticipate more rigorous course work at the new school and allow for extra study time.

3. Apply to more than one school. This is particularly true if you are moving from a public to a private institution. The offers you get will likely vary, both in terms of credit transferability and financial aid, so you will be in a better position if you receive more than one acceptance.

Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.